The band was originally formed with no plans to ever play in public. It was simply an outlet for guys to get together, enjoy each other’s company, and create original music. There were no rules. Just show up with a collection of instruments and join in. Sometimes it was magical and other times it was awful. It was always fun. It was always a healthy vehicle to release the week’s pressures. Month after month, year after year, additions and subtractions of musicians gathered and created.
Then came the gig (imagine haunting, ominous music fading in). At first, there was excitement about the chance to play for an audience. Then, some hard realities began to settle in. We needed to learn songs. We needed to practice and do homework. We needed to reduce mistakes. We needed to make our music “audience-ready.” Through all these years, performing had been easy under no pressure. All of a sudden, stressful conditions and new expectations were getting in the way of performance.
The first mistake was that we stopped listening to each other. Everyone became focused on their own parts. Sure, the music came out of the instruments but communication between instruments had ceased. Our next mistake was failing to realize that we each had unique personalities and skill sets in addition to different musical abilities. Some of us were relieved to have the focus of homework while others felt robbed of the freedom to improvise. The result was chaos.
As always, crisis breeds opportunity. The band’s last practice was devoted more to conversation than to playing music. We acknowledged that the rules had changed. We agreed to abandon our comfort zones. Most importantly, we committed to resume listening to each other musically. As of this writing, the band has three remaining rehearsals before playing in front of our first real audience. The challenge is now clear.
Acknowledge, Adapt, Re-invest, Trust, Innovate, Celebrate
